Venue
Lumphini Park, Rama IV Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand
Concert in the Park by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra guide
Sunday evenings with an orchestra in Lumphini.
In short
Concert in the Park usually runs on Sundays from the second Sunday of January for about eight weeks, with the season normally published in December. The Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra plays light classics, film scores and Thai favourites free in Lumphini Park. It suits families and music lovers; bring a mat and arrive before the music starts.
Concert in the Park is a free outdoor series given by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra on Sunday evenings in Lumphini Park. Families spread mats on the lawn facing the Sala Bhirombhakdi stage and listen to light classics, film scores and Thai favourites as the day cools into evening.
The series has run for more than three decades and has become one of Bangkok's gentlest traditions, a rare chance to hear a full orchestra in the open air at no cost. It is relaxed in a way concert halls never are. People talk between pieces, children chase each other round the edges of the crowd, and visitors sit shoulder to shoulder with Thai families who have been coming for years.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Bangkok, Thailand
Venue: Sala Bhirombhakdi
Held: Every year
Type of event: Live Events, Musical Events
Nearest airport: Bangkok (BKK) · 1 flight route
Currency: Thai baht (฿ THB)
Time zone: UTC+7, no daylight saving
Language: Thai
Map
Close to the venue
- Lumphini Park Attraction · 10 m
- Patpong Night Market, Bangkok Attraction · 940 m
- Erawan Shrine Attraction · 1.5 km
- Central Embassy Attraction · 1.6 km
- Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok Hotel · 3 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
What to bring to the lawn
- A mat or a light folding chair. There is no seating; the grass is the auditorium.
- Insect repellent for after sunset, when the insects find the crowd.
- Water. Even in the cool months the evenings are warm in a crowd.
- A picnic, if you like. Snack sellers work the paths, but most locals bring their own.
- A bag for rubbish. Take everything home with you and leave the lawn as you found it.
Etiquette during the music
This is an informal crowd, and chatting between pieces is part of the atmosphere. During the music itself, keep voices low and phone screens dim. If you arrive late, settle at the back or the sides, and keep folding chairs to the rear so they do not block the view of those sitting on the ground. Children are welcome and plentiful. Photography is fine; flash at the orchestra is not.
What happens on the day
- Afternoon
A slow Sunday
Market or temple in the morning, rest through the heat.
- 16:30
The lawn fills
The area near the stage is filling by now; in February the best patches go earlier.
- 17:30
The concert begins
Most of it is played as the sun goes down behind the towers.
- Early evening
After the encore
The park stays open until 21:00, time for a walk round the lake before dinner nearby.
Choosing Sundays and a hotel near Lumphini Park
There is nothing to buy and nothing to reserve, so planning comes down to two decisions: which Sundays, and where to sleep. The programme for the new season is normally released in December by the orchestra and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and the guest list and repertoire change from week to week, so read it before you fix your flights. A Sunday of film music draws a different crowd from one built around Thai songs.
Treat the concert as the end of a slow Sunday. Spend the morning at a market or a temple, rest through the heat of the afternoon, then head into the park while the light is still golden. Our Bangkok city guide can help you fill the other days of the week. Keep Sunday evening free for dinner nearby once the music ends.
What the orchestra plays at the park concerts
The programmes are built for a family audience. Light classics share the bill with film soundtracks, Broadway numbers and pop standards, both Western and Thai, and most evenings include some traditional Thai repertoire. Guest singers and young soloists step in through the season, and Vanich Potavanich and Nora-ath Chanklum have both conducted recent series. Applause between movements is normal here. So is conversation.
The setting carries its own history. King Rama VI gave the land for a public park in 1925 and named it after Lumbini, the Buddha's birthplace; his statue, put up in 1942, stands at the entrance. The park covers 360 rai, about 57 hectares, with a lake where swan pedal boats cost 40 baht for half an hour. The park is also home to some 400 Asian water monitors, mostly seen around the lake.
Food is part of the ritual. Thai families arrive with picnics of their own, and hawkers sell snacks along the paths. The orchestra's corporate sponsors and the city administration cover the costs.
Getting there
Flying in
From Suvarnabhumi (BKK), the Airport Rail Link runs 05:30 to 24:00 for 15 to 45 baht. Change at Makkasan to the MRT at Phetchaburi and ride the Blue Line to Lumphini or Si Lom. Check entry rules on our Thailand visa page.
Stations at the park
BTS Sala Daeng and MRT Si Lom share the south-west corner at Rama IV and Ratchadamri; MRT Lumphini is at the Witthayu (Wireless Road) corner.
Leaving
Taxis are a poor idea: Rama IV crawls as the whole crowd leaves. Take the train or walk.
Where to stay during the festival
Silom, Sala Daeng and Ratchadamri all back onto the park, so you can walk over with a mat in the late afternoon and stroll back after the encore.
There are no tickets to buy, so the only booking is the hotel.
Bangkok
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$542.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
8 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
The series runs through Bangkok's cool, dry season. January to March highs climb from 32.7°C to 34.7°C, with lows of 23 to 26°C and only two or three rainy days a month (1991-2020 normals).
Rain is rare, but evenings stay warm.
Worth packing
- A picnic mat
- A picnic, as most Thai families bring one
- Insect repellent
- A phone torch for the paths after dark
Flights to Bangkok for Concert in the Park by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra
The busiest routes into Bangkok (BKK).
Car hire in Bangkok
Airport transfer to Concert in the Park by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra
Met at arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and driven door to door to Sala Bhirombhakdi.
- Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) → Sala Bhirombhakdi
- 34 km · 30 min
Restaurants and food in Bangkok
Places to eat in Bangkok before or after the celebrations.
Yamazato
24th floor, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
Cuisine:KaisekiEdomae sushi
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Delivery
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Yes. There are no tickets and no charge. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and corporate sponsors pay for the series, so you simply walk in and find a space on the grass.
No. It leans on accessible repertoire: popular classical pieces, film music, Broadway and pop arrangements, Thai songs and some traditional Thai works, often with guest vocalists or young soloists.
Follow the crowd carrying mats from any entrance and you will find it.
A small folding chair is fine. Sit towards the back or the sides so you do not block the view of people on the grass behind you.
Rent a swan pedal boat on the lake, look out for the monitor lizards along the banks, or walk a lap of the paths. Arriving early to claim a spot gives you time for a short loop.
Timing & weather
The orchestra and the city usually publish the season in December. Recent seasons have opened on the second Sunday of January.
The music begins in the late afternoon and finishes in the early evening, so plan on roughly the length of a standard orchestral concert with time to pack up afterwards.
Getting there
An hour before the start is the minimum for a place near the stage, and more is wise in February, when attendance peaks.
Families & accessibility
Absolutely. The audience is largely families, and there is room at the edges of the lawn for small children to move about without disturbing anyone.
Stay & facilities
Snack vendors walk the paths, but choice is limited. Most Thai families bring a full picnic, which is the better plan.
